Penn, Blount return to field as Bucs prepare for Patriots

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers began Patriots Week on a good note Monday, welcoming starting left tackle Donald Penn back to the practice field and getting a full day's work out of running back LeGarrette Blount.

Penn has missed all of training camp with a calf injury but was full go during his first workout Monday, as was Blount, who left Friday's loss to the Titans early with a groin injury.

"It felt good to get back out there,'' Penn said. "I never really missed practice before in my career, so this was a first and I was really itching to get back and be with the guys and get the pads back on."

Blount said the hit that knocked him out of Friday's game in the second quarter put a scare into him because he took a similar hit a year ago during the regular season that caused more damage than the one he took Friday.

"It scared me a lot, really but I was fortunate enough not to get the same injury as last year,'' said Blount, who missed two games with a leg injury in 2011. "The groin was the only part that got hurt this time, so I feel good about it and I felt good today.''

Also returning to practice on Monday was tight end Luke Stocker, who missed most of last week with an unspecified ailment. Missing parts of Monday's workout were linebacker Adam Hayward and cornerback Anthony Gaitor.

The Bucs are prepping not only for their third preseason game Friday against New England, but also for a series of workouts Wednesday and Thursday against the Patriots at One Buc Place.